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Oobleck

Sections

Joey Scouts Cub Scouts Scouts

Challenge Areas

Creative

Scout Method Elements

Learning By Doing Youth Leading, Adults Supporting

SPICES Growth Areas

Intellectual

The Adventure

Investigate the interesting world of non-Newtonian fluids by making and experimenting with oobleck.

Plan

  1. Investigate different states of matter. What are they and what are some of their properties?
  2. Investigate non-Newtonian fluids. What are they and what makes them special and different to other fluids. You may find this resource a useful starting point.
  3. Read the safety information and discuss with your leaders or another appropriate adult what safety equipment, precautions, and supervision may be required. Ensure that you have these safety measures in place before starting the ‘Do’ section.
  4. Gather all the equipment that you need to make your oobleck. You will need cornstarch/cornflour, water, a bowl, a spoon, a measuring cup, and food colouring (optional).

Do

  1. In a bowl, add 2 cups of cornstarch.
  2. Add 1 cup of water and stir gently. If you want, you can also add a few drops of food colouring here to make your oobleck colourful.
  3. Once your oobleck is all combined, have a play with it. What happens when you try to move it quickly? Can you hold it still in your hands for a while? Can you make something stand on the oobleck?

Review

  1. Did you manage to successfully make and play with the oobleck? If not, what went wrong?
  2. What did you learn while making and playing with the oobleck? What did you enjoy?
  3. What do you think you could do differently to improve your experiments with oobleck?
  4. What do you think would happen if you changed the amount of cornflour or water in the recipe? Do you think you could use other starches or liquids?
  5. What do you think will happen if you leave your oobleck alone for a day or a week?

Safety

  • Whilst oobleck is safe for human consumption, it is not advisable. Avoid eating, especially in large amounts. Make sure you make, use, and store/dispose of your oobleck somewhere where pets cannot access and eat it.
  • Playing with oobleck can get very messy. Make sure that you make and play with your oobleck somewhere easy to clean or in another appropriate place.

Variations

  • Oobleck can be a great tool for visualising soundwaves as outlined in the Seeing Soundwaves Challenge Card
  • Creating oobleck can also be a good way to explore colours and colour mixing by testing which colours you need to combine to make what colours.